College football notebook: Settlement was discussed in...

1of2No charges were pressed against Jameis Winston in a sexual assault case due to a lack of evidence.

2of2FILE - In this Sept. 7, 2014, file photo, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson carries the ball agianst the St. Louis Rams during the third quarter an NFL football game in St. Louis. After a day of public pressure from angry fans and concerned sponsors, the Vikings have reversed course and placed star Peterson on the exempt-commissioner's permission list, the team announced Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014. The move that will require him to stay away from the team while he addresses child abuse charges in Texas. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson, File)Photo: Associated Press

There were discussions of a settlement earlier this year between representatives for Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and the woman who said he sexually assaulted her.

Attorneys for both sides strongly disagree, however, on the details of the talks and who initiated them.

David Cornwell, an attorney who advises the Winston family, said in a Sept. 23 letter to Florida State obtained by the Associated Press that the woman's former lawyer Patricia Carroll demanded $7 million in February to settle her potential claim against Winston, the university and the Tallahassee Police Department.

Baine Kerr, one of the lawyers for the woman, said in a statement emailed to the AP on Wednesday that Cornwell sought the settlement. Kerr said it's “our understanding that (a) settlement was discussed, no authorized demands were made of Mr. Winston.”

Winston was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, and State Attorney Willie Meggs did not press charges due to a lack of evidence.

The statement released by Kerr said Cornwell “leaked to TMZ a self-serving letter” that he had sent to Florida State, adding that the letter was “full of dishonest and distorted statements at a time when Mr. Winston is suffering from the negative attention of his own continuing misconduct of last week.”

Kerr said Cornwell threatened to sue the woman and her parents for “civil racketeering in an effort to intimidate them into staying quiet” after they declined to settle.

Gators staying with QB: Florida coach Will Muschamp is sticking with struggling quarterback Jeff Driskel, who is coming off arguably the worst game of his career.

Muschamp says the fourth-year junior “needs to play better” and that Driskel “gives us the best opportunity to win right now.”

Driskel completed 9 of 28 passes for 93 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions, in a 42-21 loss at Alabama on Saturday. He was particularly ineffective on deep passes, misfiring on 14 of 16 throws that went at least 10 yards.

The coach also says former Florida great Emmitt Smith called to apologize for tweeting that Driskel should be benched.

Penn St. wants lawsuit dismissed: Penn State wants a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by one son of the late coach Joe Paterno and another assistant coach who was fired two years ago.

Former assistants Jay Paterno and Bill Kenney sued in July contending they have been unfairly tainted by the university's handling of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal. They are seeking more than $1 million and a statement from the university saying they did nothing wrong relating to the Sandusky case.